Pseudosasa japonica
Common names
arrow bamboo
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Detailed description
Medium sized bamboo up to about 5 m, forming dense thickets with extensive rhizomes. Culm dark green, banded white just below nodes. Branches one per node, sometimes 2–3 at upper nodes. Leaf-sheath glabrous, often purplish above. Leaf-blade 3.5 × 25 cm long, one on each branch. This species has flowered frequently in NZ, the inflorescence is purplish on the exposed side, spikelets 4–9 cm, flattened.
Similar taxa
P. japonica is the bamboo species most commonly known to flower in NZ. Distinctive vegetative characters include round, not notched, stem, the white band below the node and single branches on lower nodes, with 2–3 on upper nodes.
Habitat
Terrestrial. Roadsides, riverbanks, in or around plantations, especially near garden boundaries, in scrub and on forest margins, abandoned garden sites and waste places (Edgar and Connor 2000).
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Poaceae
Ecology
Flowering
Flowered throughout 80’s not since.
Year naturalised
1968
Origin
Japan, S. Korea
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Life cycle and dispersal
Perennial. Can flower continuously for several years. The thickets do not die completely after flowering although large parts often do (Edgar and Connor 2000). Spread is vegetative or by planting, Viable seed is uncommon (ibid.). No regeneration from seed so far has been reported (ibid.)
Other information
Etymology
japonica: Of Japan
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
PSEJAP
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Manaaki Whenua Press, Christchurch, NZ. 650 p.